Adjustable support for tractor implements



Dec. 31, 1940. J PARKS 2,226,577?

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR TRACTOR IMPLEMENTS Filed Dec. 5, 1938 EEJ...

QQWLLE J qeks Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR TRACTOR IM- PLEMENTS Application December 5,1938, Serial No. 244,045

Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in hitch and supportingmeans for the frontal ends of press wheel drills and similar implementsand more particularly to an adjustable 5 supporting means for suchimplement.

In the ordinary implement of this type, which is used for drilling orplanting grains and seed, the frontal end when pulled by a tractor isprovided simply with a hitch for connection to the tractor draw bar, andthe tractor thus serves to hold the frontal end in proper elevatedposition. The rear end of the drill is, of course, supported at alltimes upon the press wheels and in normal operation this arrangement isquite satisfactory. However, it frequently happens that the drill willbecome mired in the field and, in order that the tractor may have firmfooting for pulling the drill clear, it is very desirable that means beprovided which will enable the tractor to be disconnected, moved out tofirm ground, and then connected again from the remote point to thedrill, as by means of a chain. In this case it is obvious that somemeans must be also provided to support the frontal end of the drill fortravel 25 movement when it is thus disconnected from the tractor. maryobject the provision of adjustable supporting means for the frontal endof the drill, together with jack means whereby said supporting means maybe lowered to support the drill when not connected to the tractor, as inthe instance above or when the drill is stored, or raised clear of theground when the drill is in operation behind the tractor.

A further object is to provide supporting and jack means of thischaracter wherein the entire assembly is arranged at the front of thedrill in compact form and with the control lever means convenientlydisposed for manipulation by the 40 tractor operator from his station onthe tractor.

Another object is to provide a supporting and jack assembly for thispurpose in simple and inexpensive form and which will in no wayinterfere with normal operation of the implement, but may in fact and insome instances be employed in association therewith as a depth controlgauge wheel. v

These and other more detailed and specific obiects will be disclosed inthe course of the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, inwhich Fig. l. is a side elevation of aconventional form of press wheel drillshowing my invention appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the frontal My invention,therefore, has as its priportion of the drill frame showing my supportand jack means arranged thereon.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2,showing the support means in lowered, supporting position and, in dottedlines, 5 in elevated or inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section along the line 1-4 in Fig. 2, showingthe supporting means in elevated position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the 10 frontal portion of theimplement frame, showing a modified form of operating means for raisingand lowering the support.

Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to thedrawing, A designates a press wheel type of grain drill of usual formcomprising a gang of transversely aligned and spaced opener disks Bsupported by arms C from a draw bar D forming a part of the frame E,which frame is supported at the rear by a series 0 of transverselyspaced press wheels F which operate behind the openers B. The grain orseed is carried in the hopper G and is fed to seed boots H adjacent theopeners B by operation of seed feeding means actuated by forward travelof the 23 machine through the sprocket and chain assembly I. Power liftmechanism J is provided for raising and lowering the openers B and theusual markers and other working parts are provided in accordance withconventional practice.

My invention constitutes the assembly designated generally at 5 andcomprises a supporting means taking the form of a caster wheel 6, whichis so mounted that it may belowered to the position indicated in Fig. 1to support the frontal end of the drill or raised to a position clear ofthe ground when the drill is connected and supported by the tractor.

The drill frame includes forwardly converging frame bars or members Iwhich are secured to 4! the frame E and at their frontal ends areconnected by a superimposed gusset plate 8. The tractor hitch 9comprises side plates Ill secured to the forward ends of the frame barsI and turned forwardly and parallel at their extremities, 45 as at H, toprovide a mounting means for'the coupling or yoke [2. A series ofapertures 13 spaced from the vertically extended and elongated frontaledge M of the plates l9 provides for height adjustment of the couplingl2 as will be 50 clearly evident, and it will be noted that the couplingcarries an upstanding stop or lug l5 which is adapted to bear rearwardlyagainst the edge l4 and maintain the coupling in substantiallyhorizontal position, as Well as aid in supporting the frontal end of themachine from the tractor. The coupling 12 is of course adapted to beconnected to the draw bar K of the tractor L when the tractor is usedfor pulling the drill.

The wheel 6 is mounted by an arm it on a body member or carrier il inwhich said arm is swivelled or rotatably supported, as indicated at :8,so that the wheel may caster freely from this point. The carrier lltakes the form of a suitably shaped casting having a long bearingsurface or bore for the arm i6 and a transversely, and substantiallytangentially, extended bore lit by which the carrier is journaled orrockably mounted on a rock or support shaft 23 extended transversely andhorizontally between the frame members I. The ends of this shaft 29 arereceived in openings 2! in said frame members as shown in Fig. 2, andthis assembly is disposed immediately to the rear of the gusset plate 8.

Extended radially from the carrier i"? is a short arm 22 to which thelower end of an elongated operating lever 23 is secured as indicated atat. This lever plays over a notched quadrant 25 and has the usuallocking pawl 25% operated by the handle 2? for loclnng the lever in anadjusted position The quadrant is formed of a fiat bar bent to arcuateshape on a curvature determined with the shaft iii] as an axis, and thefrontal end of the bar is secured by a bracket 23 to the gusset plate 8while the rear end is extended straightly and secured at 29, to a crossbar 3i? which in turn is secured crosswise atop the frame members E.

The carrier ll also has an upwardly and forwardl'y extended lug or carill to which the frontal end of a link 32 is pivotally connected at 33.The link extends rearwardly from that point and is connected at its rearend at 34 to a retractile coil spring 35 and which extends rearwardlybeneath the cross bar 3d and is adjustahly secured by draw bolt 35 to abracket 3? extended from a center frame member 38. This frame member inturn extends rearwardly to and is connected to the frame E. In spacedrelation (transversely) to the spring 35 the cross bar it carries adepended stop member or lug 353, as shown.

The construction and assembly thus provided is such that, by swingingthe lever 23 rearwardly, the arm it will be moved forwardly anddownwardly carrying the wheel 6 into a lowered position in contact withthe ground so that it will support the forward end of the drill. In thisposition the spring 35 is put under tension and serves to yieldablysupport the wheel relative to the drill frame. By manipulation of thelever to various positions the height at which the forward end of thedrill is supported by the wheel may be readily varied and aside from itsfunction of supporting the drill when not in use, the assembly furthermakes a convenient jack for use in raising and connecting the drill tothe tractor.

The wheel 6 may, of course, be raised clear of the ground by moving thelever 23 toward the front and, when fully raised, the rim of the wheelis adapted to come to rest beneath the cross bar and in the spacebetween the spring 35 and stop as where the wheel is firmly held bylocking the lever. The positioning of the wheel rim between the springand stop prevents the wheel from castering or flopping over to the sideas might otherwise occur, and the wheel is thus carried in straightaheadposition ready for use when lowered. The arm 4 t carrying the wheel isof course suitably formed to dispose the'wheel in position to enter thespace between spring and stop. It

will be noted that the lever 23 is conveniently located for operation bythe operator of the tractor from his station thereon, and it is thuspossible for the operator to disconnect the drill when it becomes mired,lower the caster wheel to support its forward end, drive the tractorclear of the mire, and then connect by a length of chain, as shown at Min Fig. 2, to the drill to pull it clear. In this manner a frequentlyencountered and extremely dimcult condition may be easily dealt with. Inaddition the vertical adjustment of the wheel 6 may be utilized fordepth or gauge adjustment of the working tools of the implement.

As shown in Fig. 5, I may employ screw-acting means in lieu of thelever-acting means for actuating the mechanism, and in this case Iprovide the extension arm 22 with a swiveled nut 49 through which theend of a screw shaft M is threaded. This shaft 4! extends forwardlythrough a supporting bracket 32 and is provided at its forward end witha hand wheel 63 by which the shaft may be rotated to oscillate the arm22 and so adjust the wheel 6 as desired. The hand wheel being forwardlydisposed, is convenient to reach of the tractor operator.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fullyillustrated and described my invention,

what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable supporting means for the frontal end of a vehicleframe, comprising a vertically adjustable caster wheel, and means forengaging the wheel and retaining the wheel against caster movement toeither side in its raised position.

2. An adjustable supporting means for the forward end of an implementframe, comprising an arm vertically adjustable with respect to theframe, means for adjusting and locking the arm in raised or loweredposition, a wheel carried by the arm and operatively mounted forcastering action with respect to the frame and adapted in loweredposition for supporting the frame, and means on the frame for engagingand retaining the wheel against lateral movement in two directions inits raised position.

3. In combination with a tractor implement including a frame borne bywheels at its rear portion and normally supported at its forward end bythe tractor, means for supporting the forward end of the frame whendisconnected from the tractor and comprising an arm mounted forcastering and vertically swinging movements, a wheel mounted on the armand normally elevated thereby to clear the ground when the implement isconnected to the tractor, a lever for urging the arm and wheeldownwardly into ground contact, and the said lever being forwardlydisposed with respect to the implement for manipulation by the operatorof the tractor into position for supporting the forward end of the framewhen it is disconnected from the tractor.

4. An adjustable support for the forward end of an implement frame,comprising a carrier member oscillatably supported in the frame formovement about a horizontal axis, an arm journaled at one end in thecarrier member for up and down movements therewith and for casteringaction with respect thereto, a wheel carried by the arm, means foroscillating the carrier member to raise and lower the arm and Wheel withrespect to the frame, a spring connected to the carrier member tonormally urge the arm and wheel downwardly, the said spring beingextended in spaced relation over the wheel, and a stop on the framespaced from the spring to define therebetween a space for the receptionof a portion of the wheel in the raised position thereof.

5. The combination with a tractor implement including frame borne bywheels at its rear portion and when in use supported at its forward endby draft connection with the tractor, of means for supporting theforward end of the frame from the ground when said draft connection isreleased and comprising, an arm mounted for castering action and up anddown swinging movements with respect to the forward end of the frame, awheel mounted on the arm and normally elevated thereby clear of theground when the frame is connected to the tractor, screw actingadjusting means for urging the arm downwardly to carry the wheel intosupporting engagement with the ground, and a hand control member on thesaid adjusting means and forwardly located for manipulation by thetractor operator to move the wheel into position for supporting theforward end of the frame as it is disconnected from the tractor.

ORVILLE J. PARKS.

